Zhan Beijue was watching Zhou Jinxiu stir up trouble in the group chat when the study door was knocked on by Gong Beibei from outside.
"A Jue, can I come in?"
He tossed his phone aside and squeezed his eyebrows. "Come in."
Gong Beibei, wearing a beautiful black silk nightgown, walked in and stood opposite him.
Due to her fair skin, intoxicating fragrance, and the overwhelmingly "beautiful" scene, Zhan Beijue instinctively felt uncomfortable.
She smiled faintly, "Aunt Zhou asked me to come up."
"She said since everyone knows about our engagement now, it's time to pick a date. A Jue, when are you free? Can you talk to me?"
Zhou Jinxiu was still boasting incessantly in the group chat, praising how good his girlfriend was.
Hearing the buzzing phone, Zhan Beijue suddenly made up his mind.
"Since you're all so eager for me to get engaged, it's going to happen eventually, so it's better to settle it sooner and have peace of mind."
"Next Friday is the 100th anniversary of Zhan Corporation's establishment. How about we set the date for that day?"
Zhan Beijue was actually planning to set his engagement date on the same day as Zhan Corporation's centennial celebration?
He valued himself too much!
Gong Beibei was overjoyed when she heard him say that.
"Are you sure? Don't you want to think about it more, A Jue?"
Zhan Beijue glanced at her. "Aren't you ready yet?"
"No, no, no, I'm ready anytime. I'm already prepared."
One could even say she was eager. Gong Beibei's joy was evident.
Zhan Beijue said calmly, "An engagement is fine, but I have a condition that you must agree to before we get engaged."
Gong Beibei blinked her large eyes. "Sure, we'll be husband and wife eventually anyway, so you can say whatever you want. A Jue, feel free to state your conditions."
She thought Zhan Beijue would ask her about managing the household, or about giving birth to a successor for the Zhan family soon.
Instead, he said, "I will not have any more children. Even after we get married, I won't touch you. Do you have any objections?"
"..."
"If not, then go and talk to Aunt Zhou about the date. I still have work to do, so I'll leave the engagement matters to you two."
Gong Beibei walked out of the study with an indescribable feeling.
At the door of his room, Ge'er and Rui Rui exchanged a look and dejectedly went into Zhan Beijue's room.
"Daddy." The two little ones decided to have a heart-to-heart talk with Zhan Beijue today.
"Are you really going to marry Aunt Gong? Then what about Mommy?"
Zhan Beijue frowned and looked at them.
"It's so late, and you two came to tell me this? Children shouldn't interfere in adult matters."
"Didn't I tell you not to mention that woman in front of me anymore?"
"But..."
"Your mommy is dead. She died six years ago. Don't mistake the kindness of a stranger for a mother just because a new woman has entered your lives."
"Having someone with a bad character as your mother will only bring you negative influences. I'm doing this for your own good."
"So, Daddy and Mommy can never be together again, and Daddy is determined to marry Aunt Gong?"
Rui Rui looked at Zhan Beijue with a deep expression, making his final summary.
He felt like the little one was being provocative.
As if he was prepared to resist if he didn't listen.
Zhan Beijue felt that he had been too lenient with them, leading them to be unruly and lacking respect for elders and juniors, always wanting to interfere in everything.
Even their marriage had to be approved by them; did the Zhan family have no rules anymore?
"Marriage is my business, and I have the right to make my own decisions. As children, you have the obligation to respect me, not the right to stop me. No more nonsense, do you understand?"
Daddy was truly disappointing.
Mommy was so good, a hundred, a thousand times better than Aunt Gong, yet he insisted on believing she was bad.
He suddenly felt so distant.
Back in the room, Ge'er sat on the bed, looking sadly at her brother.
"Brother, I suddenly don't like Daddy anymore. If we have to live with him and Aunt Gong like this every day, I think I'll go crazy."
"Why don't we leave him? Let's go find Mommy together!"
Rui Rui also felt sorry for Mommy.
"She clearly loved us so much and wanted to be with us. But Daddy insists she didn't want us."
"Being misunderstood feels really bad. I think we should help her."
Thus, the two little ones quickly reached an agreement.
They secretly packed their bags, preparing to sneak out of the Zhan family again when everyone was asleep.
However, before leaving, they needed to call Mommy to confirm their meeting point.
After scolding the children, Zhan Beijue felt even more restless and depressed.
Looking at the smug Zhou Jinxiu in the group chat, he found Gong Beibei's WeChat and added her to the family group.
Then, he tagged his uncle and aunt.
"Miss Gong Beibei and I are planning to hold our engagement banquet next Friday. We welcome Uncle and Aunt to attend."
"Jinxiu, you should be feeling better by then, so bring your girlfriend along."
Damn it.
He was getting engaged next Friday? And he was inviting himself to attend?
This was clearly a move to constantly suppress him!
Zhou Jinxiu, who had intended to show off in the group chat, had his thunder stolen by Zhan Beijue. He threw his phone down in a fit of rage.
"What the heck! So unlucky! How could I have such a second brother!"
Jiang Nanfang came out with the porridge she had cooked and happened to hear him say this.
"What's wrong? Who has upset you again?"
"Your former boss is holding his engagement banquet next Friday, and he even asked me to bring you along."
Zhou Jinxiu swiped to show her the chat history.
"He already has a fiancée but still wants to manipulate you, and when he can't, he retaliates. How could such a scumbag be my second brother?"
Jiang Nanfang looked at Zhan Beijue's familiar avatar and the words beneath it, feeling like the world was spinning.
He was getting engaged next Friday. He said it himself.
Inviting everyone to send him their blessings.
Recalling everything that happened in Bali, she felt like an idiot again.
"I'm not going. He's a scumbag. I feel disgusted just seeing him. I would never send him blessings, even if I were beaten to death."
Jiang Nanfang handed the phone back to Zhou Jinxiu.
"You two eat first, I'm going to the restroom."
Unable to control the stinging in her nose, she had to hide in the restroom before her tears fell, causing a scene.
Jiang Nanfang could only hide.
After feeling sad for a while, she looked at her haggard and ridiculous reflection in the mirror, wiped her eyes, and silently encouraged herself.
Don't be sad. There's no need.
This piece of trash is getting married, and from now on, she would completely cut ties with him.
This is a good thing, Jiang Nanfang. Don't cry, you should smile!
It's just the children... it's easy to cut ties with him, but what about the children?
As she was worrying, her phone vibrated in her pocket.
When she took it out, she saw it was Rui Rui calling.
Jiang Nanfang's hands trembled with joy as she quickly answered.
"Hello, my darling."
"Mommy." Rui Rui's voice sounded very wronged.
"Sister and I have packed our bags and are planning to come find you later, and we'll leave Nancheng together. Where are you now?"
"What? You and Sister are coming to find me and leave with me? Really?"
"Yes. Daddy is going to marry another woman, and we really dislike him now. We don't want to be with him anymore. Mommy, do you still want me and Sister?"
"Silly child, of course, I do. If it weren't for you and Sister, Mommy might not have lived to see today."
Jiang Nanfang was so happy that she cried.
"Mommy has been waiting for this day for a long time, and you're finally willing to come with me. When can you come out? I'll drive to pick you up."